diy tanks - acrylic?

[Xcric]

so i was thinking of building my own tank, and i found these acrylic panels, but i was wondering if it needed to bve made of a certain type of acrylic, and also, if in order to get it to a thickness that was acceptable to withstand the pressure of the water contained in it, would it be doable to glue two pieces of acrylic together?

 

[fufanu360]

of course u can glue them together, theres even special glue for it or u can jsut use pure silicon

 

[chkltcow]

Actually, on acrylics, I don't thikn you're supposed to use the silicon. The acrylic adhesives basically melt and fuse the 2 pieces together for added strength. You can then seal it with silicon, but I'm pretty positive you need to actually glue it with the proper stuff.

 

[Blacky]

correct you need the proper glue first but make sure the suface you are glueing is real clean, clean it with metho or turps then after its glued you silicone the corners on the inside

 

[Xcric]

so basically, it would be possible to glue say two 1/4 inch thick plates together and have it be the same strength as a 1/2 inch thick plate?
cause that would be so much cheaper than me buying the glass...in fact, it'd be about half the price....

 

[Blacky]

you would'nt be able to see through it though if you glued two bits together so buying the thicker stuff is the best option or just go glass cause its cheaper than perspex

 

[Narayan]

Glass isn't a cheaper option but is a better option. Acrylic/perspex will scratch easily. I would recommend using perspex to make a hood with (if you dont have one) if it gets scratched at least you can sandpaper it to give it a sandblasted look.

 

[rollntider]

silicone wont hold at all on acrylic. You need acylic cement. I found out the hard way

 

[Rich T]

Was thinking of making an acrylic tank like this myself but it would be in the style of these just a lot bigger and fancier !!

It would be to house 1 or 2 bettas in about 1.5 gallons of water each

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